NOW TRY GORDON’S LATEST RECIPES

Rustle up a bit of the Ramsay magic in your own kitchen with these simple but delicious recipes from Gordon’s latest book

ROAST BEEF WITH CARAMELISED ONION GRAVY

A weekend wouldn’t feel like a proper weekend without a really good roast lunch. The quality of the ingredients is very important, so buy the best beef you can afford. If you like, roast the beef on a bed of root vegetables. Serves 6-8 1 head of garlic (about 12 cloves), cut in half horizontally through the cloves 5 thyme sprigs, leaves picked, plus 1 extra 1.8kg (4lb) sirloin of beef

3-4tbsp olive oil

4 large onions, sliced

150g (5½oz) plain flour

500ml (18fl oz) red wine

1.5ltr (2¾pt) hot beef stock

Steamed chard, to serve Rub the garlic halves and thyme leaves all over the beef (reserve the garlic). Place the joint in a dish, drizzle the olive oil over, then rub it into the meat. To make it extra tasty, cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for 1-2 days, taking it out 1 hour before you cook it to let it come up to room temperature. Alternatively, after rubbing the garlic, thyme and oil into the meat you can sear and roast it straight away without leaving it to marinate.

When you are ready to cook the meat, preheat the oven to 190°C/fan 170°C/ gas 5. Heat a dry frying pan until very hot, then add the beef and sear over a high heat until coloured on all sides. Transfer to a hob-proof roasting tray, add the garlic and extra thyme and roast for 45 minutes for medium rare (or until it reaches 45-47°C in the centre, if you have a meat thermometer). Add another 10-12 minutes for medium (or until it reaches 55-60°C in the centre), or add 20 minutes for well done (or until it reaches 65-70°C in the centre). Remove from the oven and transfer to a warm platter, then cover loosely with foil and leave to rest for 20-40 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make the gravy, place the roasting tray on the hob over a low heat, add the onions to the juices in the tray and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and caramelised. Stir in the flour, then whisk in the red wine, making sure there are no lumps. Bring to the boil, whisking constantly, then bubble until reduced by half. Stir in the stock, then cook over a medium heat for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick. Uncover the beef, carve it thinly and pour the gravy into a warm jug. Serve with Yorkshire puddings (see p73) and steamed chard.